"Willie's just not progressing, and we've been playing short so we made the decision that we would go the other way with him," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said.

Campana was acquired from the Cubs just after the start of Spring Training and battled for the final outfield spot on the roster before he was sent to Reno.

The speedster was hitting .288 and was 24-for-28 in stolen-base attempts for the Aces.

"I started off really slow, and I've been feeling really good lately and I've been swinging the bat well," Campana said. "I think I just got a little more aggressive. I went down there and was trying to take a lot of pitches, and it didn't go the way I wanted it to."

In order to get to New York in time for the game, Campana took a red-eye flight that landed around 7 a.m.

When he reported to the ballpark, Campana found his name penciled in the lineup in the leadoff spot.

"It's awesome. Nothing wakes you up like that," he said of starting right away. "I got a few hours [sleep]. I got enough, for sure."